Qatar Bids for 2022 World Cup With Stunning Solar-Powered Stadiums

Believe it or not, countries are already bidding to host the World Cup as far out as 2022, and Qatar has submitted their bid, which includes a slew of solar powered stadiums as well as significant upgrades to their public transportation network. Eleven countries submitted bids for the 21st and 22nd World Cup, and the Qatar bid, which we saw over at Designboom this morning, is the first ever from a Middle Eastern country. If they win the bid, Qatar would build three brand new green stadiums and update two existing ones in order to host the games.

To host the championship soccer/football matches, Qatar would need significant upgrades to its public transportation network and existing stadiums, coupled with the addition of three new complexes. Albert Speer & Partner GmbH, in cooperation with ProProjekt, have put together the bid book on behalf of Qatar. The existing Al-Rayyan and Al-Gharafa stadiums will be expanded for increased seating, which can easily be reduced when the competition is over. New metro lines will be added in 2021 and bus lines will be beefed up to accommodate the influx of fans to the country.

Three new eco stadiums and sports complexes will be built close within the city limits allowing fans as well as teams to easily access the arenas. The Al-Wakrah stadium will be able to host over 45,000 spectators and be located in a mixed-use complex along with an aquatic center, spa, sports facilities and a mall, which will continue to be utilized all year long even after the competition ends. Then the Al-Khor and Al-Shamal Stadiums will also be constructed with seating capacity greater than 45,000. Qatar plans on using solar technology to power carbon-neutral technology in order to cool the stadiums and keep the temperature inside less than 27 degrees celsius.